The Carolina Hurricanes head into their preseason finale in Nashville with the roster picture still shifting, but one more game should give them a final look at several key pieces before the decisions start landing.
Rod Brind'Amour said Friday that everyone who had not yet played this preseason would be in the lineup for the last exhibition game. That means a first look at the newly assembled top line, another chance to see the third line featuring the Conn Smythe winner, and Brandon Bussi expected to get the start in goal after playing only half of Tuesday’s win.
Carolina comes in after one of its most entertaining tune-up games yet, a 6-5 comeback win Thursday night in Greensboro. A younger group took the ice at the home of the Greensboro Gargoyles and looked finished when it trailed 5-1 in the second period, only to rip off five straight goals and finish it off on Felix Unger Sorum’s winner with 2.6 seconds left.
The Predators, meanwhile, trimmed their camp roster again Friday and are down to 28 players. Head coach Andrew Brunette said Nashville will likely use a mix of players preparing for Opening Night and others trying to make one last push before the roster has to be submitted Monday afternoon.
For Carolina, the most interesting eyes will be on Eric Robinson, Sebastian Aho, Jordan Staal and Charles Alexis Legault.
With Seth Jarvis out to start the season, Robinson has been given the chance to skate on Aho’s wing. He already showed in his first season that he can look comfortable next to a skilled center, especially when paired with Martin Necas, and now he gets a fresh opportunity beside one of the team’s best forwards.
Aho, for his part, is no stranger to changing wingers, but this is still a meaningful test run for a player he is expected to help elevate. There is also the question of whether the two might work together on the penalty kill.
Staal enters the night on the heels of a strong summer. After winning his second Stanley Cup and taking home postseason MVP honors, he signed a one-year extension for next season, quieting retirement talk in the process. Carolina’s captain remains central to how this team sets its tone, and this is another chance for him to reinforce that.
Legault has a real opening in front of him after Friday’s cuts sent Joel Nystrom and Pierre-Olivier Joseph either to Chicago or onto waivers. That leaves a path for him to make the Opening Night roster for the first time, though nothing is official until Monday. Still, after what he has done over the past few weeks, this is a chance to make that case even stronger.
In Other News...
Hurricanes Still Have One Big Roster Question Before Opening Night
The Hurricanes cleared a bit more camp clutter this week by trimming their roster to 28 players, sending a handful of prospects back to the AHL and junior ranks as opening night draws closer. It was also a notable week for their long-term picture in goal, with Pyotr Kochetkov landing a new contract extension that starts in 2027-28, a move that keeps one part of Carolinas future stable even if the immediate focus remains on final lineup decisions.
The bigger question still hanging over the group involves the blue line, where Alexander Nikishins situation has become one of the more interesting storylines around the team. Elliotte Friedman reported that the defenseman has been allowed to speak with other clubs, even though Carolina still controls his NHL rights for three more seasons, leaving the Hurricanes with an unresolved piece of business as camp winds down and the season nears. [Read more 🡒]
Alexander Nikishin Drama Adds Pressure On Hurricanes Before Opening Night
Alexander Nikishins situation has become one of the more awkward September storylines for Carolina, with opening night approaching and the rookie defenseman still not settled into the lineup picture. The 23-year-old Russian blue liner arrived with plenty of upside and was supposed to be part of the teams long-term answer on the back end, but his status has only grown more complicated as the calendar has turned toward the start of the season.
Nikishin has now changed representation while his trade request remains unresolved, a sign that the pressure around his future is not easing any time soon. For the Hurricanes, that adds another layer of uncertainty to a roster that had hoped to get through camp with clarity on the blue line, and it leaves one of their most intriguing young pieces in a hold pattern as the regular season nears. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes End Preseason With One Roster Battle Suddenly Harder To Ignore
The Hurricanes wrapped up the preseason with a convincing 6-0 win over Nashville, a night that checked a lot of the boxes they could have wanted before the games start to count. Jackson Blake chipped in three points, the power play struck three times, and Brandon Bussi handled all 22 shots he faced to finish off the shutout.
Amid the clean finish, Felix Unger Sorum made his case in a setting that mattered more than another exhibition result. He was given a prominent look alongside Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov on the top line, and he made enough of that chance to turn what had been a quiet roster question into one of the harder calls left for Carolina. [Read more 🡒]